The Thermo Scientific Spinnaker Smart Laboratory Robot with built-in
vision, coupled with Thermo Scientific Momentum 4 software, is designed
to eliminate the need for users to manually correct for drift that
occurs over time by automatically compensating for positional
variations. This is particularly important for systems in environmental
enclosures, where gaining access to the system can be disruptive.
Spinnaker’s robot vision capability and software also guide users
through a simple step-wise procedure for configuring automation and
teaching the system about its environment.

The Spinnaker system is making its debut at SLAS2015, the 4th
Annual Conference & Exhibition of the Society for Laboratory Automation
and Screening, booth 423 at the Washington Convention Center in
Washington, D.C.

The robot-vision camera doubles as a bar code reader, enabling automatic
confirmation of sample identification, simplifying the workflow and
contributing to robust sample tracking and system fidelity. The arm’s
flexible reach, infinite rotation and full gravity-neutral joints
facilitate positioning when teaching or integrating instruments.

“We designed this robot to see and correct issues before they become
costly problems such as lost samples or reduced productivity,” said
Hansjoerg Haas, product line director, Laboratory Automation, Thermo
Fisher Scientific. “We’re relentlessly focused on simplifying the way
customers design, set up, and execute their scientific processes, and
we’re pleased at how Spinnaker’s integrated workflow addresses these
needs.”

The combined solution of Spinnaker with Momentum supports a broad range
of third-party instruments and peripherals, from small dedicated
benchtop workflows to large, high-throughput screening applications.